"The strategist had prepared for this?"
Luo Hong smiled faintly, "Naturally, I never embark on a battle unprepared, do I? If it were Prince Ding who came today, this plan might have been seen through, but the one who came was that boastful Ninth Prince, so he is not to be feared."
He stood tall, dressed in the unique attire of the Northern Di people.
He had been in the Northern Di for several years. Although he had become more tanned and stronger, he was still a man from the south at heart, full of cunning, unlike the straightforward and open Northern Di people.
However, under his schemes, the Di Rong had grown to what they were today, unifying the grasslands, something even their ancestors had not achieved.
This was also why they believed his words and had besieged the city without attacking for nearly two months.
Heaven knew how much effort he had spent suppressing the tribal leaders who were dissatisfied with the siege. Now, with war imminent, all the tribes were eager to fight. Who would have thought that the five thousand vanguard sent out would be annihilated at the foot of Liangzhou City, and those who escaped were no longer capable of fighting.
In such a situation, how could he remain seated?
Seeing King Keda's impatience, Luo Hong cursed him as a mediocrity in his heart.
But he needed a suitable identity to be here, so he could only assist King Keda and use the Northern Di forces to help him expand his territory.
Once the cities of the Great Jin were breached, he would naturally find a way to replace King Keda.
At that time, the army that was completely loyal to him could fight against Prince Ding's army. He had not forgotten the grievances he had with Prince Ding over the years.
Thinking that his great revenge was about to be exacted and that his years of hiding were finally over, he felt a surge of exhilaration.
But the more this was the case, the more he could not afford to be careless. So, he said to King Keda again.
"Your Majesty, rest assured. Now we just wait for the reinforcements to arrive. With a pincer attack from within and without, Liangzhou City will surely fall before dawn!"
Luo Hong spoke with certainty, which stirred King Keda's bloodthirsty emotions. He looked greedily towards Liangzhou, "Good! The treasures, beauties, grain, and cloth within Liangzhou will all be ours in the Northern Di then."
Several of King Keda's close attendants in the tent also became excited.
The night grew deeper, and all was silent.
After a whole day of fighting, the defending army was exhausted. However, they dared not slacken their guard during their shifts, as no one knew when the Northern Di would attack again. If they were not vigilant, they might only realize when the enemy was at the city walls.
In the city's armory, He Qiu was counting the number of crossbow bolts.
The archers had been in continuous action all day. Although they had effectively repelled the Northern Di's attacks, their crossbow bolts were now less than a thousand.
A thousand bolts were likely not enough to sustain even one round of attack. Without crossbow bolts, they might not be able to withstand the Northern Di's cavalry. They were people who grew up on horseback, their warhorses were well-bred, and they were quick to dodge. If the arrows were gone, the Northern Di could quickly charge to the city walls.
The walls of Liangzhou City were built with mud mixed with glutinous rice, making them strong and durable, but they were also vulnerable to flooding.
Considering that the Northern Di might use a water attack to weaken their city walls, Xiao Ji had already sent people to secretly apply waterproof paint, which might offer some resistance.
Xiao Ji looked at the mottled night sky, his unease growing.
He did not know if the soldier sent to deliver the message could bring back reinforcements, nor did he know when they would arrive.
Dozens of miles away, Xiao Muqian was leading fifty thousand Ji Prefecture troops at full speed towards Liangzhou City.
The whistling wind, accompanied by specks of sand, blew onto his face. Feeling this rough texture, Xiao Muqian began to feel a sense of peace.
Liangzhou City was a typical arid city, with only a few wells for its citizens. Therefore, the wind carrying sand and soil was normal. The sharper the sensation, the closer they were to Liangzhou.
He was accustomed to it, but the Ji Prefecture troops behind him were not.
After all, they were trained in the Central Plains, where the climate was much better than in the northwest.
The cavalry rode in front, followed by the infantry. The sand and dust kicked up by their passage blinded many soldiers' eyes, and gradually, their marching speed slowed down.
The night was charming. Marching in the northwest in March was not too cold, but the wind at night still made people want to pull their clothes tighter.
"General, traveling at night is truly difficult. May I ask if the men can rest for an hour before continuing?"
The suggestion came from Commander Cheng of the Ji Prefecture army. He was over forty years old, upright and courageous, and highly respected in the army.
"The situation in Liangzhou City is critical. Every extra hour of delay could mean an extra hour of danger. I understand Commander Cheng's meaning, but now is truly not the time to rest!"
Xiao Muqian refused, but he slightly slowed down his horse's pace.
He looked back at the exhausted Ji Prefecture troops behind him and felt a sense of resentment towards Emperor Qi's arrangements.
The Central Plains army was different from the Northwest army. Lacking the experience of fighting in the wind and sand of the border towns, they seemed a bit delicate in comparison.
If it were the defending army under his uncle, they could probably march for three days and three nights without complaint.
In the darkness, some of the infantry who could not see the road stumbled and fell, causing a chain reaction of falls. They were all panting, and once they stopped, they were unwilling to get up.
Xiao Muqian frowned at the sight and was about to say something when he was stopped by his deputy.
The deputy had followed General Su for many years. His surname was Zhen, and he was the most steady person. General Su had specifically arranged for him to accompany Xiao Muqian to remind him not to be impatient.
General Su had served in both the northwest and the Central Plains and understood the soldiers of both regions well. This Deputy General Zhen had followed him for many years and naturally had some tricks up his sleeve.
"General, we have been traveling for a long time, and everyone has truly reached their limit. How about letting the army rest here for a while, and the deputy and I will scout ahead?"
Offering a way out for both sides, Deputy General Zhen was General Su's confidant, and Xiao Muqian could not directly refuse him, so he said.
"Then we will rest for a moment. We will set off immediately after we scout ahead!"
"Yes!"
Having received the order to rest, the Ji Prefecture troops could finally stop.
However, the three commanders sent by Prince Ding were quite disdainful. One of them grumbled inwardly.
This kind of terrain was not even enough to tickle the teeth of Prince Ding's army. The Ji Prefecture army was truly good-looking but useless.
With an army of two hundred thousand, he wondered if they could defeat Prince Ding's twenty thousand troops!
His eyes showed contempt, but he did not rest. The three led their teams to spread out around, acting as sentries.
Ahead, Xiao Muqian and Deputy General Zhen urged their horses on and soon arrived at the banks of the Lan River.
In the darkness, the river was very calm. The moon's reflection on it created a shimmering expanse of water.
Liangzhou and Ganzhou were separated by a hundred miles, but this river divided the two regions.